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I’m thinking about becoming a Social Media “Influencer.” I mean, how hard could it be? Make money by taking something you know and love and convince people to buy and/or do it. I endorse this already!

Been wracking my brain, figuring out what to influence the public in… food, cosmetics, clothes, sports, healthy living (<–okay, the last one is a joke… not happening). So many choices!

It occurred to me that I should choose something closer to the real me, something I possess vast knowledge of…

The Art of Procrastination. (i.e., I’m procrastinating right now writing this instead of my book. See how good I am!)

Can you imagine the boatload of cash Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram would make off my Social Media influencing? They’re the Holy Trinity of time wasting. Bless them. Dare I say, I’m quite the expert at dillydallying on those sites for hours on end. I can post video shorts of me cursing at my Twitter feed. It’ll make you want to hop on the Twitter train and curse along with AC. We all win.

I could push the sale of sofas for couch potato basics. Length and hardness don’t only reference sex scenes. No one wants an unsatisfying softy. This is important stuff, folks.

The snack industry could potentially rake in billions as I post pictures of the crap I inhale while fighting boredom and doing anything but what I’m supposed to be doing.

It’s the beginning of the year and I’m feeling particularly sappy today… you can skip all this mumbo-jumbo or indulge me and read on.

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I work with a woman who is half-way through reading my second book. It’s always a little strange when someone I know in my “real-life” reads my stuff.

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I expected to hear good feedback because A) she knows me and has to see me on a daily basis and B) She’s polite and a genuinely nice woman.

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Today she told me that she loves it (she loved the Casual Rule and went right into book two, The New Rule). I thanked her… because I’m polite too and —well— it’s nice to hear good things about something you worked hard for.

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But then she started talking to me about the book… really talking to me and I realized— She got it. She was picking up on small details… things that she related to in her own life to the point that she was tearing up as we spoke.

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If you read my books, you know there’s nothing over-the-top. It’s real life. These characters are real. Their experiences are real. They’re alive in my head and heart.

To see her reaction, in front of me, was humbling.

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It’s moments like this… when you tap deep into someone’s soul and they FEEL your words, the emotions to the point where it touches them… that remind me how proud I am to be an author.

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To anyone who has sent me a private message, a facebook comment, blog comment, or a review for anything I’ve written… THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

Self-doubt sucks. I seriously considered not writing anymore. It wasn’t until my husband said “So don’t write anymore” that got my head back into it. Sometimes you need permission to stop in order to go. (Or I just like to do the opposite of what my husband says. That’s always a possibility. … More like a probability)

Joe Manganiello and Scott Eastwood do nothing for me…. even with their shirts off. But Beto Malfacini … that’s a man full of yum. Look at him … Delicious.(It’s okay…my eyes went there first too.)

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I love the characters in my book. I wish they were real. I would hang out with them. Drink a few beers, eat a few cupcakes. One of the best compliments I ever received was that they were so “normal.” Julia knows who she is… she knows she’s flawed and she owns up to it. She’s a slob and has broken makeup at the bottom of her handbag…. she’s human. She never settles for anything less than what she knows she deserves. I think it’s a great message. Allie may seem off-the- wall and flaky… but damn, she’s fun and fiercely loyal. And Ben…. Someone once asked me why Ben wasn’t written as one of those Uber Edgy Alphas that’s so popular now. My answer was simple… Julia would never have fallen in love with him. Ben may have his flaws but he’s always truthful, patient and a good man. I love that they feel real to the readers, because to me… they are real.

I can’t curb my Big Brother spoilers’ addiction.

I’m a crappy gardener, but I’m going to do it again next year.

Pinterest is a time sucker… and I’m a sucker for Pinterest.

My fanfiction Late Night Thoughts was featured in an online magazine based in Paris (complete with the English version and French version links to the story). My original intention was to take it down a few weeks after I completed the story, but two years later, I’m still receiving positive and often times, very touching messages about it. So it stays.

I’m excellent at making long lists of things I’m going to accomplish for the day… I’m even better at ignoring those lists.

I should blog more often because I enjoy writing them.

I need to diet and exercise again… as soon as the bag of Pepperidge Farm cookies and the Party Cake Ice cream are gone, I swear.

I plan on prettying up this website and adding a proper mailing list, when I… and by “I”, I mean my husband… has the time. I’d like to give the illusion that I’m legit and Authory <— yes, I can create words at will. Please subscribe to this blog for the unveiling… in oh, let’s say eight or nine years.

This brief break has shown me that I’m too easily distracted. I want to give The Casual Rule 3 the attention it deserves. Although I’m not taking another break (I know me too well), I am dwindling my time online. So forgive me if I’m slow to wish you a Happy Anything or answer a PM (which gets lost in my mailbox half the time anyway).

Enough of my babbling. (See how easily distracted I get?) I have a book to finish. Back to the cave I go.

Thanks again to all who have supported me and my writing. Thank you for reading. Thank you for reviewing. Thank you for your private messages. Thank you for asking for more Julia and Ben. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be doing this.

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Click on for links to the Books. The Casual Rule should be read first.

Today, July 27th, is the last day to download a copy of The Casual Rule and The New Rule for only 99 pennies. I will “dazzle” you once again with a few Photoshop blurbs… as I’ve impressed myself that I figured out how to make them. Tell your friends! Gift them! Links and all that jazz below.

Once you’re done admiring the Photoshop glory before you… get one-clicking.

¨*•.¸¸♥¸¸.•*¨*• ‪ #99cents ‬¨*•.¸¸♥¸¸.•*¨*•

The Casual Rule
(can be read as a Standalone)

Amazon Reviews:~The was the perfect book to pull me out of this rut I’ve been in. It was funny, sweet, steamy, and just overall perfection.

~If you are looking for a fun, witty, sweet story that will make you laugh then The Casual Rule is the book for you. I loved this story. It is funny and sexy with a bit of drama all in one.

~FABULOUS! AWESOME! And every other superlative you can think. OH MY! Such tender love. Totally a page turner and I do mean that. Do not start this book at bedtime. I did and finished it at 6 A.M. with an appointment at 9 AM. If I could give it more than 5*, I would. And I rarely ever say that about any book and I have read some terrific books. This book hooked me from the very beginning. No superfluous words. Just amazing writing. I almost passed this book up due to title. Had no idea what it meant. Does not indicate the poignancy and love in this story until you begin reading. But once you get into book, you understand THE CASUAL RULE. If you truly love heartrending romance, READ THIS BOOK. I read it and turned right around the next day and reread it. Still makes me tingle.

(The Casual Rule should be read prior to The New Rule. No cliffhanger ending.)

Reviews:

~Wow! An absolutely amazing follow up book and so emotionally charged that I cried a few times during this read. Brilliant story; everyone should read this series!!!

~I just love Ben and Julia. They honestly have to be one of my favorite book couples

~AC Netzel is a hidden talent just waiting to be discovered. The New Rule was emotional and heartwarming and all of those other words that are used to describe something good. She has some of the most fun and witty dialogue between characters that I have read not to mention the seriously HOT sex

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to my wonderful readers for your amazing support, for spending your precious time reading my books, and for spreading the word about them. You’re the best!

Good News! If you haven’t met Julia and Ben (gasp!) …Here’s your chance. It’s a 99 cent each…(or FREE on Kindle Unlimited) Summer Sale for The Casual Rule AND The New Rule. This is only for a very limited time… starting Thursday July 23rd and ending Monday July 27th. Tell your friends! Get your one-click finger ready. Here’s all the info, links, and all that jazz. (**Please check Amazon’s price before you click)

~o0o~

The Casual Rule can be read as a standalone. Funny, sweet, sexy, and totally captivating with characters you could feel. There are hordes of hopeless romantics who will love the way this story unfolds.- 5* Amazon Review

Feeding my apparent addictive personality, I blurbed again. I can’t help myself. I’m so technically challenged… the fact that I figured this out makes me downright giddy. I’ll post the blurbs at the bottom of this posting.

Now on to other things…

Back in January, I made a list of twenty things I hate. I’ve been trying to come up with a counter-list of twenty things I like. This has proved to be… well… challenging. The first three were easy. After that I had to actually think long and hard. And thinking long and hard hurts my brain.

What can I say? I’m a delicate flower.

So I’m going to give you ten and I’ll add to it some time down the road.

1- Flabby Chris Pratt- I love this guy. He seems so down to earth. Speaks highly of his wife. Tears up when he talks about his kid. Visits sick children in hospitals. He’s the real deal…a genuinely awesome human being. If I ever find out this was all an act… or he cheats on his wife… or was mean to an animal… I would be absolutely devastated.

3- Sandra Bullock- I love her. I want to be her best friend. I want to hold her umbrella when it rains. Oh Sandy, I know you’ve got some snark in you… we need to drink and let the snark fly free for the world (us) to enjoy.

4- Tina Fey- Smart, funny and fierce.

5- Amy Poehler- See Tina Fey.

(Incidentally, I know they’re BFFs… I think Sandy and I could easily join their BFF club. Let’s make it a Quad, Ladies. The BFF Square… BS for short

6- Arrested Development- It’s my fault the show is off the air. Whenever I find a show I like, it gets cancelled. I’m sorry. How can’t you enjoy this goldmine of one-liners with brilliant lines like “I just blue myself” and “I suppose I’m buy-curious”? This was cast beautifully, and written so smart and witty. Love it. Remember… there’s always money in the banana stand.

7- Twizzlers- I’m not a chocolate person. On occasion, okay. But put a package of Twizzlers in front of me and I’m all in. It’s like candy crack. I know there are some who prefer Red Vines. I like Red Vines too. They have a unique unnatural plastic-y taste I enjoy. But I’m loyal and my heart still belongs to Twizzlers.

8- Napping- Friends have given me the nickname “The Napster”. I like napping. I can take a nap, wake up and ten minutes later take another. My husband is not a napper. I have tried to wrap my head around that phenomenon. For the life of me, I don’t understand how anyone could pass up a chance to sleep when the opportunity presented itself. On Seinfeld, when George Costanza got that desk with the secret napping compartment… I was jealous at its brilliance. Why didn’t I think of that?

9- Wine. (Although I liked it a little too much last night)

10- Berries. I’m a big fan of berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. Love them. The only thing I don’t love is the price. I grew up near protected wetlands, so there were a lot of woods in the area. It was a great place to grow up. Blackberries grew wild everywhere. Thousands of blackberry bushes where there for the picking. In season, after school we’d go out with a coffee mug and pick a cup full for an after school snack. My house wasn’t one that was regularly full of cookies and other goodies, so this was nature’s way of giving back. That takes me to today… my backyard is full of wild berry bushes (courtesy of bird droppings). Since I don’t know if the berries are poisonous or not, I’m not willing to take a chance and either have a psychedelic 60’s acid-trip moment or die… I pull them out. (Thorny suckers, by the way). So, I go to the supermarket and a tiny pint costs me a pretty penny. I pay it, because I love it. And I deserve it, dammit. I’d try to grow my own, but the evil squirrels and chipmunks who dominate my yard would grab them first. Critter thief bastards.

I’ll come up with more at a later date… there can’t possibly be only ten things I like.

On to some business at hand.

It was brought to my attention that a few Chapters in my new book, The New Rule, take place Memorial Day weekend. So if you haven’t read it yet and plan to … the hell with your family. Spend it with Julia, Ben, and company.

And once again… thank you to everyone who has supported my writing. Before, during and after. I am grateful and humbled. Your PMs, emails, reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, facebook posts, twitter tweets, and blog posts mean the world to me. Writing is a very personal thing, (for me at least). I hope through these two books I managed to put a smile on your face, maybe gave you a laugh or two. Many people have expressed to me how they felt Julia and Ben were like real people… to me, they are.

To me they’re proof that ordinary people can have extraordinary love stories.

And one last thing before I blurb you…on a serious note.

If you observe Memorial Day weekend… Enjoy your family and friends, be safe, and most importantly…Remember the veterans who are no longer with us and if you see or know a veteran … thank him or her.

It’s that time of year where we make conscious decisions to better ourselves in the coming year. Ah, the promise of a new year, a clean slate, a new beginning. Like everyone else, I make several pacts with myself to do all the things I promised I’d do on January 1st of the previous year.

I’ll eat healthy, lose weight, exercise, garden, and organize my life. I’ll be the person I knew I could be: a better person, a stronger person… a purposeful person.

After Christmas, I began the planning process. After all, no good project (which is what I consider myself) comes without a carefully thought out plan. I pinned the hell out of Pinterest. I have countless pins of “detox water” recipes (incidentally, 2015 is looking to be the year of the great cucumber/lime-infused pee).

I can make pizza with a cauliflower crust and bake cakes without shortening. I have playlists to walk, jog, and dance to. I’m holding onto cardboard toilet paper rolls to organize my phone chargers. I’m going to recycle and repurpose every pallet Costco is trashing and build a new house with the wood, complete with indoor and outdoor pallet furniture.

Plans for the garden? Let’s just say the head gardeners at New York Botanical Gardens and The White House Rose Garden will seek my advice once they witness my living works of art.

Like most of you, everything on my usual resolution list will be a complete and total failure. None of these things will happen. By January 3rd (I’m being generous here)… this will all be a laughable memory.

So I’ve come up with a solution. A new list… a fail-proof list. Instead of listing all the things I’ll do… why not make a list of all the things I won’t do. (I know, it’s brilliant in its simplicity). Come December 31st, 2015, I will proudly say that I saw all my 2015 Resolutions through.

So here it is. The list of 2015 Resolutions I will keep.

– I will not have dinner on the International Space Station.
– I will not marry Neil Patrick Harris.
– I will not win Jeopardy (unless it’s teen week, then I think I have a shot.)
– I will not share lip-gloss with Vladimir Putin.
– I will not have my prostate examined
– I will not tower over Shaquille O’Neal.
– I will not lay naked on a banquet table while sushi is served on top of me.
– I will not be The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker ballet.
– I will not perform open heart surgery
– I will not be a sister wife.
– I will not win The Amazing Race or The Voice.
– I will not check my mailbox looking for a letter from Shaun Cassidy thanking me for the fan letter I sent to him when I was twelve. ( I’m Da-Do-Done-Done with you, Shaun!)
– I will not stare at the crotches of the Men’s Olympic swimmers anymore. (This is a lie. I will… and you know you will too.)
– I will not win an Olympic Gold in Curling.
– I will not not drink wine (that’s a trick resolution- double negatives rock!)
– I will not sing a duet with Tony Bennett (unless I’m drunk and you convince me you’re Tony Bennett.)
– I will not win Miss Nude 2015.
– I will not say “Yay! It’s snowing!”
– I will not date Sugar Bear… Momma June scares me.
– I will not star as a love interest in Sharknado 3.
– I will not take George Clooney back when he realizes the mistake he made marrying “that woman”.
So there ya go… Fool Proof Success.

There is just one thing I will do. Enjoy life and remember every day is a gift.

I wish you Happiness, Health and Peace in 2015.

Here’s some very cool news to end the year. My book, The Casual Rule (the link is to your right) was listed as “One of the Best of 2014” by Natalie at Love Between The Sheets.

Here’s what she said:
The Casual Rule by AC Netzel: This book was pure gold. Adorable, witty, heartwarming, sweet, sexy. I had such a fun time reading. Author AC Netzel was able to take a topic that we have all read before, ‘friends-with-benefits’, and turn it into something all her own. The characters felt genuine and were easily likable, the dialogue made me laugh and the romance was just perfect.

A huge thank you to Natalie and everyone who has read my book. From the bloggers who took time out of their busy lives : Love Between the Sheets, Three Chicks and Their Book Blog, Nerd Girl, Live and Breathes Book Blog, Hooks & Books, Romance of Daydreams, and G & The Book Divas Blog ( I apologize if I forgot someone) to my fanfiction fans to someone who randomly took a chance on an unknown author. It’s truly humbling to know that Julia, Ben, and Allie put a smile on your face. I love them and I’m thrilled you do too.

Fanfiction friends: I updated A Different Way on Dec 27th. Here’s the link in case you missed it.

Starting in January, it may be harder to see facebook posts on my Author page (the page you “LIKE”). If you want to be sure you get updates from me (and who wouldn’t … I’ve met me — I’m delightful) here’s how to do it.